To Be Gentle
by Raccoonfg
Summary: A short one-shot story.


"Mama, why're you crying?"

"Oh, it's nothing, dear," she gingerly wiped away the tears from her fur, trying to avoid smudging her makeup. She had to be strong for her little boy, and the last thing she needed was for her makeup to run; it made it harder to hide the bruises that way.

"Where did daddy go? What was he mad about?" Her son looked up at her with the timid confusion. "Did I do something wrong?" His mother had to bite her lip to keep from tearing up again.

"No baby," she spoke quietly, "you didn't do nothing wrong. Your daddy-" She paused and knelt down by her little kit, placing both paws on his shoulders. "Your daddy is just mad, that's all."

"But why?"

Her snout pinched up; his innocence was almost heartbreaking. "Because sometimes… Sometimes your daddy just gets mad. So- So don't you worry about that, okay?" She cradled his face in her hands and pulled him in close for a hug. "Just promise your mama one thing," she whispered into his ear. "When you grow up to be big and strong like your daddy, don't ever raise your hand at a girl, no matter what." She pulled away and looked at him with wet, glassy eyes. "Can you promise me that?"

Her son nodded, but there was little understanding on his face. "Okay, Mama, I promise."

"Good." She smiled weakly and fixed the part in her son's hair. "Now why don't you go and wash up. I think it's high time I taught you how to bake cookies."

* * *

"We're sorry that we had to meet under these circumstances-"

"And we do understand that some pred children play rougher than others, but-"

"Well it's just that your boy gave her such a nasty scratch-"

"And it was over something as silly as tickets-"

The constant back and forth of the two rabbits was dizzying enough, but the news that her son would do something as cruel as this shook her to the core. They seemed to notice the distress this brought her, as the wife motioned for her husband to settle down.

"Maybe," she said to the vixen, "you and his father should have a talk with him about-"

"His father isn't around," she finally spoke up. "Not for a long time." The two rabbits exchanged an embarrassed glance. "But I'll talk to my son. He won't bother your little girl again."

After exchanging further apologies and farewells, she closed the front door, and blankly stared at her feet, tightening her paws in a struggle to keep from crying.

"Baby," she called down the hall, towards the living room, "it's time for Travis to go home."

"Aw, but Mom-"

"Now."

The two boys shuffled their way to the front hall. Travis started to say goodbye to his friend's mother, but the cheerless look on her face only led him to quietly slip out the door. Once he was gone, all that was left in the house with them was an uncomfortable silence.

"Uh, Mom," her son piped up, edging closer to his mother. "I was thinking I could help with dinner tonight. I'm getting better at baking cornbrea-"

Without warning, she tugged her son close and held him tighter than she had ever held him in his entire life. The dam had burst and she couldn't hold it back anymore. Tears flowed down her muzzle, dampening her son's fur as she sobbed and cried helplessly. She knew deep down her son was a good boy, and it hurt so badly to keep herself from telling him just how much he had let her down this day.

"Mama, why're you crying?"

* * *

"Huh?"

"I asked why you were crying," Mrs. Hopps repeated herself, sympathetically placing a paw on his arm. "Is something wrong, Gideon?"

"Naw, It's just-" The big fox calmly pulled his arm away and dried his face with the back of his wrist. He was so lost in thought; he didn't hear her arrive with the day's fresh produce. "I was just remembering something, that's all." He looked down at his recipe book and saw there were some wet, raised spots where he tears had fell; so he quickly dabbed them before the ink would run. "Say, uh, I heard that Judy was back in town. That true?"

Mrs. Hopps nodded.

"Think it'd be alright if I drop by sometime? I, ah… I think I owe her an overdue apology."

"I think that would be just fine, Gideon." Mrs. Hopps smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Now how about helping me with the truck? Stu overstocked it again."

"Sure thing, Mrs. H." As he followed her out the back door of his kitchen, a slight breeze blew through and flipped the pages of his recipe book until it was only open to the inside cover, where a dedication was written in pen.

'To my baby boy, from your mama who loves you very much.'

'Never forget the most important part of being a gentlemammal.'

'To be gentle.'


End file.
